Riverine Plains Blog

The ups and downs of harvest (and running a property every other day of the year) can be extremely taxing. Managing stress is crucial to avoiding burning out mentally and physically or creating long term health issues.

Key messages

• Review cash flow budgets in light of revised yield & quality
• Communicate with your farm advisors & bank manager
• Be open-minded to opportunities that increase your income stream

Key Messages:

• Carbon is present in the soil in many different forms.
• Including a pasture phase and pulses/legumes in the cropping rotation is essential to improve soil organic matter and nitrogen levels, promote microbial activity and ultimately increase soil organic carbon. 
• Evaluating management practices to increase soil carbon is necessary to ensure they are economically viable for a farming business.
• Several environmental factors (rainfall, evaporation, solar radiation, and temperature), as well as soil type, nutrient availability and land management influence maximum soil organic carbon storage capacity 

 

What Is Soil Carbon?

Soil carbon can occur in organic and inorganic forms.

Key Points:

• Check crops now for signs of cereal rust and other diseases 
• Time fungicide applications to protect the yield-producing leaves  
• Rotate fungicide groups to reduce the risk of resistance developing 

Given early disease build up in areas of NSW and Victoria, ongoing wet conditions and the widespread planting of susceptible cultivars, Riverine Plains region growers are encouraged to inspect crops now for signs of rust and other cereal diseases.  

Key Points  

• Biosecurity should be an everyday farm practice  
• Simple, low-cost measures can prevent pests and disease from establishing on your farm 
• If you spot anything unusual, know how to report and contain it. 

While the current Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Indonesia has focussed our attention on emerging biosecurity issues, biosecurityshould really be an everyday farm management practice.